From a press release issued by Ducati North America:

Cupertino, Ca (11 March 2008) Ducati North America is delighted to announce that NCR will serve as the official Ducati supported racing team in the 2008 Parts Canada Superbike Championship series. The team will campaign the new 848 Superbike in the Canadian Thunder National class.

The NCR – Ducati team will have two veteran racers on board campaigning the series. The 2007 European Supertwins Champion, Valter Bartolini, will race alongside Canadian racing sensation Andrew Nelson; who won the Canadian R.A.C.E. 600 Championship and finished a close 2nd in the Canadian R.A.C.E. Superbike Championship last year. They will be on board the new Ducati 848 Superbike, which will be prepared by NCR.

The team will be managed by Joe Ippoliti, C.O.O. of NCR, who commented “It will be a unique opportunity for NCR and Ducati to work together again in campaigning the Canadian Thunder Championship. The 848 is a fantastic bike to base a race platform on and we look forward to putting together an exciting new team while developing new technology and parts for the 848. We invite Ducatisti to join us in the pits at the Canadian National series as well as select AMA and European events. We look forward to a successful season.”

Ducati North America’s CEO Michael Lock commented, “Ducati and NCR share a rich heritage and frequent collaboration. We are very excited about this latest racing venture, which combines the class-leading attributes of the new 848 Superbike and NCR’s undoubted talents in extracting maximum performance while minimizing mass. We are also delighted to be working together in Canada, Ducati’s fastest-growing market in the world.”

“This is a great development”, says Jim McKenna, Canadian National Sales and Marketing Manager, “When Joe first approached me over the winter about doing this project with the 848 Superbike I knew there had to be a way to make this happen. You combine our history with NCR, their skills and professionalism, undeniable potential of the new 848 and the European flair NCR will bring to the show; it should really help put the Parts Canada Superbike Series and especially Canadian Thunder on the map. We should have a great season of road-racing in Canada this year and I invite all Ducati fans and supporters to come out and see us at the track.”

For more team information or to explore sponsorship and marketing opportunities, visit www.ducatiusa.com or www.ncrfactory.com.